Wheel guide assembly for a vehicle wheel

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wheel guide assembly for a wheel of a vehicle, comprising: a bearing bolt ( 101 ), a wheel control arm ( 103 ) which comprises a bearing ( 105 ) with a bearing eye ( 107 ), wherein the bearing bolt ( 101 ) is extended through the bearing eye ( 107 ), a bearing support ( 115 ) having a first support limb ( 119 ) and a second support limb ( 121 ) for accommodating the bearing ( 105 ) of the wheel control arm ( 103 ), wherein a first guide recess ( 123 ) is formed in the first support limb ( 119, 505 ) and a second guide recess ( 125 ) is formed in the second support limb ( 121, 507 ) for the guided displacement of the bearing bolt ( 101 ) into a specific mounted position, wherein the bearing bolt ( 101 ) is extended through the first guide recess ( 123 ) and the second guide recess ( 125 ), and a first retaining element ( 127 ) and a second retaining element ( 129 ) which hold the bearing bolt ( 101 ) in the specific mounted position in the first guide recess ( 123 ) and in the second guide recess ( 125 ), wherein the first retaining element ( 127 ) is inseparably connectable to the first support limb ( 119 ) and wherein the second retaining element ( 129 ) is inseparably connectable to the second support limb ( 121 ).

1 . A wheel guide assembly for a wheel of a vehicle, comprising:
 a bearing bolt;   a wheel control arm which comprises a bearing with a bearing eye, wherein the bearing bolt is extended through the bearing eye;   a bearing support having a first support limb and a second support limb for accommodating the bearing of the wheel control arm, wherein a first guide recess is formed in the first support limb and a second guide recess is formed in the second support limb for the guided displacement of the bearing bolt into a specific mounted position, wherein the bearing bolt is extended through the first guide recess and the second guide recess; and   a first retaining element and a second retaining element which hold the bearing bolt in the specific mounted position in the first guide recess and in the second guide recess, wherein the first retaining element is inseparably connectable to the first support limb and wherein the second retaining element is inseparably connectable to the second support limb.   
     
     
         2 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the wheel control arm is a toe link. 
     
     
         3 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the first guide recess and a longitudinal axis of the second guide recess extend perpendicular to a vertical vehicle axis. 
     
     
         4 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first guide recess and the second guide recess are each formed by an elongated hole, particularly a vertical elongated hole. 
     
     
         5 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first retaining element comprises a first support opening which is disposed above the first guide recess in the specific mounted position, wherein the second retaining element comprises a second support opening which is disposed above the second guide recess in the specific mounted position, and wherein the bearing bolt is extended through the first support opening and the second support opening. 
     
     
         6 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first retaining element and the second retaining element are each formed as at least one of an adjustment plate and an eccentric disk. 
     
     
         7 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first retaining element is inseparably connectable to the first support limb and the second retaining element is inseparably connectable to second support limb by at least one of the following inseparable connections: welded joint, rivet joint, solder joint, bonded joint, clinch connection and a pressing action. 
     
     
         8 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 1 , comprising an actuator device having a controllable actuator, for displacing at least one of the bearing support and the bearing. 
     
     
         9 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the controllable actuator is designed to displace at least one of the bearing support and the bearing along at least one of a vertical vehicle axis and a transverse vehicle axis. 
     
     
         10 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the actuator device comprises a controller designed to control the controllable actuator as a function of a vehicle state in order to displace at least one of the bearing support and the bearing. 
     
     
         11 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the controller is designed to determine a target position of at least one of the bearing support and the bearing on the basis of the state of the vehicle and activate the actuator to displace at least one of the bearing support and the bearing into the target position. 
     
     
         12 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 11  comprising a memory for storing a plurality of target positions for at least one of the bearing support and the bearing associated with different vehicle states, and wherein the controller is designed to select the target position associated with the vehicle state from said memory. 
     
     
         13 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the actuator device comprises a communication interface, for receiving information on the vehicle state. 
     
     
         14 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the bearing support is at least one of directly affixed and by means of an actuator to an axle support of at least one of a vehicle frame and to a wheel mount. 
     
     
         15 . A method for adjusting an alignment of a vehicle wheel by means of a wheel guide assembly, wherein the wheel guide assembly comprises a bearing bolt, a wheel control arm having a bearing that comprising a bearing eye through which a bearing bolt is extended, a bearing support having a first support limb and a second support limb for accommodating the bearing of the wheel control arm, wherein a first guide recess is formed in the first support limb and a second guide recess is formed in the second support limb and wherein the bearing bolt is extended through the first guide recess and the second guide recess, and a first retaining element and a second retaining element, and wherein the method comprises the following steps:
 displacing, by the first retaining element and the second retaining element, the bearing bolt along the first guide recess and the second guide recess into a predetermined mounted position; and   fixing the bearing bolt in the predetermined mounting position by the first retaining element being inseparably connected to the first support limb and the second retaining element being inseparably connected to the second support.   
     
     
         16 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the controllable actuator is at least one of a hydraulic actuator and an electromechanical actuator. 
     
     
         17 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the function of a vehicle state comprises a function of at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle weight, and a vehicle payload. 
     
     
         18 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the communication interface is a CAN communication interface. 
     
     
         19 . The wheel guide assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the bearing support is affixed by at least one of hydraulic and electromechanical actuator. 
     
     
         20 . The method for adjusting an alignment of a vehicle wheel according to  claim 15 , wherein the step of displacing is parallel to a vertical vehicle axis.